Syfy's '12 Monkeys' TV Series Officially Ordered to Pilot

A few weeks ago we heard the surprising possibility that Terry Gilliam-Bruce Willis-Brad Pitt sci-fi classic '12 Monkeys' had been eyed for a potential TV series adaptation on Syfy, and it seems that reality has officially come to pass. Syfy has officially greenlit a pilot for the '12 Monkeys' TV series, said to follow the 'Battlestar Galactica' model of development, but will the series follow the same plot as the movie?

Deadline broke the news of '12 Monkeys' official pilot order, emerging from a pitch by feature film producers Chuck Roven and Richard Suckle, with ‘Nikita‘ writers Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett attached to write, and ‘24”s Jon Cassar reportedly on board to direct. Similar to 'Battlestar Galactica's initial trajectory, '12 Monkeys' will debut as a 60-minute pilot before Syfy decides whether or not to pursue a series order.

For those unfamiliar with the 1995 film, ’12 Monkeys’ featured Bruce Willis in the role of James Cole, criminal inmate in an apocalyptic future where Earth’s surviving population dwells underground in fear of a deadly virus released years earlier by the Army of the Twelve Monkeys (led by a young, Oscar-nominated Brad Pitt). Cole is sent back to the past to prevent the outbreak of the virus, hoping to earn himself a pardon if successful.

Syfy's version will reportedly follow the same basic outline, which itself was derived from French director Chris Marker's 1962 science fiction short 'La Jetée.'

Well, what say you? A ’12 Monkeys’ TV series seems as if it wouldn't necessarily denigrate the original, even without Terry Gilliam’s involvement or style, but do you think the project will go to series? Watch the original trailer below, and give us your thoughts in the comments!